Press Releases

On 30 and 31 March 2011, Allegra Strategies hosted the UK Coffee Leader Summit at Millbank Tower in central London. This highly successful event was attended by 275 industry leading operators and suppliers from the UK branded and independent coffee shop, food-to-go and food-for-now sectors.

Universally recognised was the fact that a diverse market is positive and although the market is competitive there are many opportunities for both large and small companies to excel. Competition from fast food and food retailers is on the increase.

Darcy Willson-Rymer, managing director of Starbucks UK and Ireland said: Despite “a headwind in the economy” the industry must continue to “adapt, evolve and innovate”. He also urged suppliers and operators, both large and small to stay focused on working together as an industry to grow the market.

Willson-Rymer was followed by Jim Slater, marketing director at Costa Coffee who spoke about channel management. Slater explained Costa’s expansion strategy is based on identifying customers’ needs, selecting the best channels, developing partnerships and earning trust. He said the company’s recent acquisition of Coffee Nation, the UK coffee vending company, and subsequent launch of Costa Express will make the brand more accessible to consumers and build on brand trust.

The first session finished on a high note with Allegra Strategies managing director Jeffrey Young forecasting that the branded coffee shop market turnover is estimated to grow at a compound annual rate of 8.4% to reach £2.5 billion by the end of 2013.

During the second session delegates heard from Mark Lilley, CEO and co-founder of food-for-now concept, Abokado; Steve Leighton, owner of Has Bean Coffee, a micro-roaster that sells coffee online; Vincent McKevitt, managing director of Tossed a healthy fast-casual concept that has recently decided to make in-roads into the coffee sector and Richard Reed, co-founder of Innocent, the smoothie company. All four presentations highlighted key challenges for emerging brands, which include, driving awareness and educating consumers, delivering quality, creating a brand experience and making money!

In the final session of the Summit, David Rogers, sales and marketing director for Lavazza’s retail division spoke about “the capsule revolution” and how home coffee consumption is changing as tea and instant coffee consumption declines. Last year Lavazza sold 2 billion capsules worldwide and 20% year on year growth is anticipated this year. At the forefront of this revolution are the “urban cool” consumers aged between 26 and 45 and the “bright young things” aged between 26 and 35.

Shelagh Ryan, founder of independent London-based outlet Lantana, spoke about what UK operators can learn from the highly evolved Australian coffee industry where the third wave independent operator is king. Like in Australia micro-roasteries, new brewing methods and special blends are gaining popularity, but Ryan warned UK operators against overwhelming consumers with too much choice. She emphasised independent operators need to differentiate themselves clearly and deliver the elusive combination of the best coffee and best experience.

Michael Stiff, director, Stiff + Trevillion Architects picked up on the theme of the in-store experience and explained how to create the best possible environment. Stiff envisages more “de-branding of big brands” as operators strive to create unique, local environments with redundant buildings turned into heritage designed A3 venues.

The final presentation of the day was from independent cafe operators, Vic Frankowski and Rob Dunne from Tapped & Packed who told delegates that every successful coffee business should be founded on three guiding principles: passion, pride and personality. They believe the industry cannot move forward until people see being a barista as a career rather than a fill-in job until something better comes along.

The day concluded with drinks in the foyer where guests mingled and dissected how all these lessons could be applied to their businesses.

The event was sponsored by United Coffee, Dawn Foods, Kellogg Company and Solo Cup Europe.

A team of more than 100 UK baristas has broken the world record for ‘the number of espressos made in an hour’ by producing 12,003 espressos at a rate of 3.33 espresso shots per second.

‘The London Belle Baristas’ team, using 31 commercial espresso machines, eclipsed all previous records in front of London Coffee Festival attendees at 6:30pm on Saturday, 9 April. The official Guinness World Record was held by a Polish barista team with 3,386 in March 2010, but an unofficial record was claimed by a team from Brisbane, Australia in October last year making 5,061 espressos.

The first ever London Coffee Festival, which attracted more than 7,000 attendees over the weekend in the Old Truman Brewery of Brick Lane, is part of UK Coffee Week and aims to raise funds and awareness for clean drinking water for communities in coffee producing countries around the world.

‘This record is a tremendous achievement and really shows the rest of the world London’s leadership in artisan ‘Third Wave’ coffee culture. London offers best-in-class food and coffee with many visitors coming here to learn from trends in this great city.

In the spirit of competition, and in the run up to the 2012 games, we will be taking award this to Mayor Boris Johnson. Perhaps he may be able to get our Barista championships be featured at next year’s Olympics.”

Taking part in the record for the London Belle Barista team were representatives from many of the leading companies across the entire coffee industry including: Costa Coffee, Union Hand-Roasted, Lavazza, La Cimbali, La Marzocco, Alpro Soya, United Coffee, Joe & The Juice, Bean About Town and a host of independent coffee shops from London and other parts of the UK.

The record attempt was made in the presence of Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) officials and expert witnesses from the coffee industry and will formally submitted to the Guinness World Records team on Monday.

The festival takes over the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane E1, from today until Sunday evening. Tonight, join the festivities at the festival’s official Public Launch and Espresso Martini Party from 5pm, following on from a very successful trade session today.

A special feature of this evening’s launch is the first live public performance of ‘Coffee’, the official UK Coffee Week song, performed by incredibly talented young artist Sam Smith. John Adeleye, MOBO award-winner and X-Factor finalist, spearheads the music line-up accompanied by a range of live acoustic acts. The music programme continues for the duration of the festival.

History in the making

Tomorrow evening, Saturday 9 April at 5:30pm, the bell will ring to signal the start of the official Guinness World Record Attempt for the most espressos made in an hour. Don’t miss your chance to witness this live! The current record is 3,386 espressos in one hour, by 86 baristas on 20 machines in Poland. This is being challenged by a team of Australian baristas who made 5,016 in under an hour. The London Belle Barista team is ready and focussed to smash this record tomorrow.

Visitors will be entertained by barista demonstrations, artisan coffee roasting and cupping sessions and the opportunity to master the best techniques on the newest espresso machines. All are invited to participate in ‘The Lab’ seminar and educational programme, including talks from leading experts about a variety of topics such as ethical coffee, the latest brewing methods and sustainable initiatives.

The London Coffee Festival is proud to be an integral part of the inaugural UK Coffee Week programme. 100% of ticket sales go directly to support the Project Waterfall charitable initiative, to deliver clean and safe water projects to communities in coffee-producing African countries.

FESTIVAL INFO

Opening hours

Public Launch: TONIGHT 5:00pm – 10:00pm

Sat 9 and Sun 10 April: 3 daily sessions

Brunch: 10am - 1pm

Lunch: 1pm - 4pm

Teatime: 4pm - 7pm

100% of ticket sales go directly to support the Project Waterfall charitable initiative.

The UK’s only annual coffee festival is returning to the Recreation Ground in Bath city centre on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd May 2011. The inaugural event last year attracted over 7,350 to the site for a fun-filled day out for all the family and the organisers have added a range of new features to attract even more coffee fans and families. This year the festival’s headline sponsors are coffee experts Taylors of Harrogate and Somerset based organic dairy company, Yeo Valley.

The Bath Coffee Festival is a free event where visitors will be treated to a fantastic coffee experience, tasting blends from around the world. With a variety of exhibitors ranging from specialist coffee roasters and tea companies to luxury biscuit and cupcake producers, it is a mouth watering day out for all the family. Companies taking part include Marshfield Bakery, Martin Carwardine & Co, Coffea Arabica and the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe.

Linda Donaldson from the event organiser, Geometry PR, comments: “There is something for everyone at the festival. We had a fantastic response from visitors last year who thoroughly enjoyed their visit, picking up delicious produce and special gifts for true coffee fans. We have listened to feedback and added some extra areas for visitors to really get hands-on with coffee and learn more about where the beverage originates. Hopefully the sun will be shining and we look forward to welcoming people onto the Rec for what is promising to be an exciting weekend!”

The Lavazza Demonstration Theatre will feature special guests on stage such as Michelin-starred celebrity chef Martin Blunos, and the Taylors of Harrogate Take It Easy Tent will return to provide musical entertainment throughout the weekend. While adults can indulge in all the coffee treats on offer, a special Teddy Bear’s Picnic, hosted by Paddington Bear will be taking place for children. Other free activities such as a tea-cup and saucer ride, salsa classes and samba workshops will also be on offer.

This year, two new features at the festival are the World of Coffee, sponsored by HSBC and the Coffee Academy, sponsored by training provider Smart Training & Recruitment. The World of Coffee will feature representatives from different coffee growing regions showcasing their growers and sampling their unique coffees. Informative hands-on workshops will be run in the Coffee Academy, where industry experts and top baristas will give out handy hints and tips and run interactive demonstrations. To register for these, visit www.bathcoffeefestival.co.uk before the festival weekend.

The festival is staged to raise money for the Bath Rugby Community Foundation. Festival partner, First Great Western, is encouraging visitors to travel by train to the event for a smooth and relaxing journey.

For more information or to register for any of the free workshops, please see www.bathcoffeefestival.co.uk. Follow us on Twitter @bathcoffee or find us on the Bath Coffee Festival Facebook page.

UK Coffee Week 2011 begins in just one week! A nationwide programme of charitable collections and public events takes place from 4-10 April 2011, to raise money for the Project Waterfall charitable initiative to deliver clean water projects in coffee-producing African countries.

Just announced, a Guinness World Record for the most espressos made in an hour will be attempted on Saturday 9 April at the London Coffee Festival™, Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, kicking off at 5:30pm. The current record is 3,386 espressos in one hour, by 86 baristas on 20 machines in Poland on 4 March 2010. This is being challenged by a team of Australian baristas who made 5,016 in under an hour on 7 October 2010. We want to beat this! A team of London’s best baristas will be assembled for the attempt to smash this record. Baristas are invited to join the team by registering at http://www.ukcoffeeweek.com/world-re...most-espressos. Team members will receive free entry to the event, plus a discount on festival tickets for family and friends.

UK Coffee Week will also feature the following fantastic events:

Roller-racing Barista Challenge, Wednesday 6 April

Square Mile Coffee Roasters and Look Mum No Hands! join forces to bring a very exciting event to the UK Coffee Week calendar. On Wednesday 6 April from 7pm, two cyclists at a time will battle it out on a pair of custom rollers over a simulated 500m course at speeds in excess of 50mph. The event will be held at innovative Old Street coffee shop and cycling workshop Look Mum No Hands! Coffee shops can accept the challenge to enter the competition by emailing [email protected] to get involved. The £25 entry fee per coffee shop goes directly to support Project Waterfall. There will be multiple prizes on the night including a trophy for the barista crowned “King of the Rollers”. This is bound to be a truly entertaining and memorable evening!

Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony, Thursday 7 April

A traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony will be held at Tana Restaurant, NW3 6EF on Thursday 7 April from 12:30-2:30pm to celebrate UK Coffee Week. This unique ceremony will demonstrate an ancient ritual which plays a vital role in Ethiopian cultural and social life. As well as coffee preparation and tasting, the ceremony will include a traditional lunch meal. Tickets are £20 per person, available at www.ukcoffeeweek.com/ecc-booking. All profits will be donated to Project Waterfall.

What is UK Coffee Week?

This new charitable initiative celebrates the success of the UK coffee industry while raising money for an extremely worthy cause. A nationwide programme of charitable collections, public events and media activities will be held from 4-10 April 2011. Thousands of branded and independent coffee shops across the UK are taking part and many industry suppliers have pledged their support.

Funds raised during UK Coffee Week will go directly to support the Project Waterfall charitable initiative, established by the Allegra Foundation to deliver clean water projects in coffee-producing African countries. The first project will provide clean water to up to 7,000 people in communities in the Mbulu District of Tanzania in partnership with WaterAid. To find out more about the programme visit www.ukcoffeeweek.com.

The days are getting longer and summer is just around the corner - that means festival season is about to begin! The first ever London Coffee Festival launches the festival calendar, taking place at the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane E1, from 8-10 April. Join the celebration of London’s thriving coffee scene and gourmet food culture featuring a fantastic live music programme!

MOBO award winner and X Factor finalist John Adeleye headlines each day of the festival, supported by a selection of undiscovered live acoustic acts including Emi Green, Etta Smith, Larissa Eddie and many more artists from the SEB Collective. A highlight of the festival will be the unveiling of ‘Coffee’, the official UK Coffee Week™song.

Complementing the live music programme, The London Coffee Festival will feature the best the UK coffee scene has to offer. Guest visits from world class baristas (including 2009 World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies), interactive coffee making and roasting demonstrations, delicious artisan food and talks from leading experts about a variety of topics such as ethical coffee, the latest brewing methods and sustainable initiatives are just a sample of what you can discover while enjoying all the great coffee you could possibly drink.

Over 50 of the coffee and food industry’s biggest and most respected names will exhibit at the event, including artisanal coffee roasters Allpress Espresso Roastery, Matthew Algie and Union Hand-Roasted, world leaders in espresso machines La Cimbali and La Marzocco, much-loved independent coffee venues Bean About Town, Caffé Fratelli and Joe & The Juice and branded coffee chains Costa Coffee and Starbucks.

Of course, it’s not just about coffee. Drink Me Chai, innocent and Teapigs are among the many other beverage companies to experience at the festival. Gourmet food suppliers and market traders including Flavours of Spain, Heavenly Cakes, Le Creperie de Sophie, Miss Poppy Cakes, Roast Hog and stewed! will provide delicious artisanal food to the festival audience.

The London Coffee Festival is an integral part of the UK Coffee Week charitable programme. 100% of all ticket sales go directly to support Project Waterfall, to deliver clean water projects in African coffee-producing countries. For more information visit www.ukcoffeeweek.com.

Quote the promo code CFOR01 for your £2.50 ticket discount. Use this code to purchase as many tickets as you like for £6.

Festival details

Friday 8 April

The Public Launch will take place from 5:00pm-10:00pm including an Espresso Martini Party from 7:30pm.

Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 April

3 sessions will be held each day:

Brunch 10:00am-1:00pm

Lunch 1:00pm-4:00pm

Teatime 4:00pm-7:00pm.

What is UK Coffee Week?

This exciting new charitable initiative will celebrate the success of the coffee industry and raise money for an extremely worthy cause via a nationwide programme of charitable collections, public events and media activities from 4-10 April 2011. Thousands of branded and independent coffee shops across the UK are taking part and many industry suppliers have pledged their support.

Funds raised during UK Coffee Week will go directly to support the Project Waterfall charitable initiative, established by the Allegra Foundation to deliver clean water projects in coffee-producing African countries. The first project will provide clean water to up to 7,000 people in communities in the Mbulu District of Tanzania in partnership with WaterAid. To find out more about the programme visit www.ukcoffeeweek.com.

Coffee Photos

Important Site Information

Started in June 2008 by Glenn Watson, we now have more than 20000
mainly UK based members, and welcome more than 3000 members
and visitors from around the world each day!

With strategic investment and digital expertise from the Jackson Lockhart team (Tait Pollack and Adam Bateman), we are taking Coffee Forums UK to the next level, and are delighted to share the journey with you.

New Members:
We are often referred to as the friendliest forum on the web and we look forward to welcoming you onboard